Many companies spend a significant amount of their budget on marketing. But, is it all worth the hefty cost? And, how does this vary from sector to sector? Together with Vindis, providers of Audi servicing, we investigate further.

The motoring sector

Inside Google’s Drive to Decide Report, it was discussed how today’s car buyer is more digitally savvy than ever before. Their stats revealed that over 82% of the UK population aged 18 and over having access to the internet for personal reasons, 85% using smartphones and 65% choosing a smartphone as their preferred device to access the internet. These figures show that for car dealers to keep their head in the game, a digital transition is vital.

Within the same report, other statistics show that 90% of auto shoppers carry out research online. 51% of buyers starting their auto research online, with 41% of those using a search engine. To capture those shoppers beginning their research online, car dealers must think in terms of the customer’s micro moments of influence, which could include online display ads – one marketing method that currently occupies a significant proportion of car dealers’ marketing budgets.

The motoring industry accounted for 11% of total UK Digital Ad Spending growth in 2017. This placed the industry in second place behind the retail sector. The automotive industry is forecast to see a further 9.5% increase in ad spending in 2018.

Most of car purchases happen in the dealership. So, how is online influencing buyer decision? 41% of shoppers who research online find their smartphone research ‘very valuable’. 60% said they were influenced by what they saw in the media, of which 22% were influenced by marketing promotions – proving online investment is working.

TV and radio are still the most invested form of marketing for the motoring companies. But in the last past five years, it is digital that has made the biggest jump from fifth most popular method to third, seeing an increase of 10.6% in expenditure.

The fashion sector

We understand more than ever that online investment is crucial for the fashion sector. Online sales in the fashion industry reaching £16.2 billion in 2017! This figure is expected to continue to grow by a huge 79% by 2022. So where are fashion retailers investing their marketing budgets? Has online marketing become a priority?

In the last month of 2017, ecommerce accounted for nearly a quarter of all purchases, according to the British Retail Consortium, as online brands such as ASOS and Boohoo continue to embrace the online shopping phenomenon. ASOS experienced an 18% UK sales growth in the final four months of 2017, whilst Boohoo saw a 31% increase in sales throughout the same period.

Research has shown that massive brands such as John Lewis and Next have invested millions into online advertising. John Lewis announced that 40% of its Christmas sales came from online shoppers, and whilst Next struggled to keep up with the sales growth of its competitors, it has announced it will invest £10 million into its online marketing and operations.

It’s becoming clearer that shoppers are happy to make purchases from home instead of heading to the shops.

PMYB Influencer Marketing Agency revealed that 59% of fashion marketers increased their spend towards influencer marketing last year. This is an essential marketing tactic in the fashion industry. In fact, 75% of global fashion brands collaborate with social media influencers as part of their marketing strategy. In fact, more than a third of marketers believe influencer marketing to be more successful than traditional methods of advertising in 2017 – as 22% of customers are said to be acquired through influencer marketing.

The utilities sector

Many customers are taking to comparison sites to help them decide on a utilities supplier.

With comparison sites becoming more important, it’s been found that they are spending millions on their TV marketing campaigns. It has become vital for many utility suppliers to be listed on comparison websites and offer a very competitive price, in order to stay in the game.

Four of the largest comparison websites (Compare the Market, MoneySupermarket, Go Compare and Confused.com) are among the top 100 highest spending advertisers in the UK, but does that marketing investment reflect on utility suppliers?

Comparison sites make it easier than ever for customers to find better deals and switch suppliers. If you don’t beat your competitors, then what is to stop your existing and potential new customers choosing your competitors over you?

Supplier British Gas has changed their strategy so that they are now aiming toward customer retention as oppose to customer acquisition. Whilst the company recognise that this approach to marketing will be a slower process to yield measurable results, they firmly believe that retention will in turn lead to acquisition. The Gas company hope that by marketing a wider range of tailored products and services to their existing customers, they will be able to improve customer retention.

It’s been said that £100 million will be invested in a loyalty scheme to offer discounted energy and services. This focuses on the value of a customer, their behaviour and spending habits over time to discover what they are looking for in the company. The utilities sector is incredibly competitive, so it is vital that companies invest in their existing customers before looking for new customers.

Utility companies are also getting involved with the digital sector too. 40% of all searches in Q3 2017 were carried out on mobile, and a further 45% of all ad impressions were via mobile too – according to Google’s Public Utilities Report in December 2017. As mobile usage continues to soar, companies need to consider content created specifically for mobile users as they account for a large proportion of the market now.

The healthcare sector

Those who operate in the healthcare sector must follow strict regulations when it comes to advertising. The same ROI methods that have been adopted by other sectors simply don’t work for the healthcare market. Despite nearly 74% of all healthcare marketing emails remaining unopened, you’ll be surprised to learn that email marketing is essential for the healthcare industry’s marketing strategy.

Around 2.5 million people use email as a primary means of communication. This means email marketing is targeting a large audience. For this reason, 62% of physicians and other healthcare providers prefer communication via email – and now that smartphone devices allow users to check their emails on their device, email marketing puts companies at the fingertips of their audience.

For healthcare companies, online marketing is worth investing in too. especially when you consider that one in 20 Google searches are for health-related content. This could be attributed to the fact that many people turn to a search engine for medical answer before calling the GP.

Research has shown that 77% of health enquiries start with a search engine. 72% of total internet users say they’ve looked online for health information within the past year. Furthermore, 52% of smartphone users have used their device to look up the medical information they require. Statistics estimate that marketing spend for online marketing accounts for 35% of the overall budget.

Don’t forget social media too. Whilst the healthcare industry is restricted to how they market their services and products, that doesn’t mean social media should be neglected. In fact, an effective social media campaign could be a crucial investment for organisations, with 41% of people choosing a healthcare provider based on their social media reputation! And the reason? The success of social campaigns is usually attributed to the fact audiences can engage with the content on familiar platforms.

Is marketing worth the big investment?

It’s clear that ROI varies by sector. automotive and fashion, online marketing investment is critical! With a clear increase in online demand in both sectors that is changing the purchase process, some game players could find themselves out of the game before it has even begun if they neglect digital.

When it comes to the utilities industry, marketing strategies differ. whilst TV and digital appear to remain the main sales driving forces, its more than just creating your own marketing campaign when comparison sites need to be considered. Without the correct marketing, advertising or listing on comparison sites, you could fall behind.

Webstrategies have said that the average firm in 2018 is expected to allocate at least 41% of their marketing budget to online strategies – with this figure expected to grow to 45% by 2020. Social media advertising investments is expected to represent 25% of total online spending and search engine banner ads are also expected to grow significantly too – all presumably as a result of more mobile and online usage.

What are your thoughts? If mobile and online usage continues to grow year on year at the rate it has done in the past few years, we forecast the investment to be not only worthwhile but essential.